Munk Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Um, hi. I have to admit I'm intimidated by these forums, especially since I've never used one before. I decided to put my first personal post here on the site than elsewhere because while I have a great deal of respect for the big thinkers on this site and my own boyfriend of 3 and a half years is an atheist, they kinda scare me a bit. I've seen how the chew on the fundies of christianity...and I LOVE reading their responses to them, but I'd rather not run with the big dogs and stay on the porch, at least for now. I'm a bit of a pansy that way. Anyway, this post is rather pointless I suppose. I just wanted to say hello to any fellow ex-christian pagans or other form of spirituality out there. I don't know when I'll be back to reply (assuming I receive any comments), but I wanted to test the waters and mingle with other like-minded people in cyber space. I first stopped being christian when I was in tenth grade. I was agnostic for the longest time, experimented with buddhism, etc. But then upon my second year of college I began to read up on paganism and I felt something click. Now that I look back, the way I've viewed the world and the concept of "god/ess(es)" has been "pagan" with a touch of deism my entire life. I'm just now crawling out of the belief system I was born into and into my own and realizing that I'm pissed, angry, and feel betrayed. I want to scream about all the crap that was forced on my for those 15 years I was classified "christian". I look back on the things I was taught and wonder how the adults in my life thought that they were acceptable topics to tell a child about: genocide, infanticide, murder, rape, incest while my parents when I was about 7 had to have a discussion about whether or not I could watch Jurassic Park. I came out of the "broom closet" as its been dubbed to my mom...slightly. Telling her I could no longer accept her views of what "god" is for my own. She thinks that I'm agnostic, though I did mention my interest in shamanism and the word pagan a few times to her. My first pagan celebration was this past mabon. Luckily the pagan community here, while somewhat underground (it's the bible belt and Gerry Falwell's bitch-town is only and hour away next door) is very warm, friendly, and welcoming. For the first time I feel happy with the things I believe and having the freedom to do what works best for me within the broad span of beliefs that all pagans collectively share. Making seashell necklaces, burning incense, eating home-baked honey bread...laughing, dancing...things unheard of in a southern baptist worship service. That first sabbat, Mabon, even though I had never celebrated before, they more than happily let me invoke the west and water, telling me the basic outlines of what it might sound like but not to worry about it, it didn't matter all that much. Whereas at church you had to force people to notice you for years before you even got so much as a decent role in the annual youth group christmas pageant. For the first time in my spiritual life even though I was and am new, I felt and feel as if I'm truly welcomed and belong. Not the stuffy superficial "we welcome you" I got for so many years in christian church. They were only "glad" to have you because they wanted to keep one more young person from "falling into the hands of satan" Now, only a few days and a month over the age of 20, I finally feel at peace with the things I believe. Just not with where I am. It's terrible being stuck in the middle of a sea of fundamentalist christianity. I have to sneak to the metaphysical shop and hope no one sees me go in. I have to hide all items that point at my apostasy and paganism from my family, usually with friends, since my mother has this habit of deciding she wants to rearrange my room while I'm off at college, going through my personal things I left behind, even my underwear drawer. She isn't looking for incriminating things, but they wouldn't be hard to find as meticulous as she is when she decides to completely change the bedroom I've called mine since I was 4. I've come back to find some of my favorite pieces of lingerie missing (though I managed to find them) from my underwear drawer. If she discovered anything "damning" enough, no doubt in my mind she'd go to my radical, racist, xenophobic, intolerant, homophobic, belligerent father. We actually had a "family discussion" one time years ago because they were seriously concerned that I might be pro-interracial marriage! I'm not sure if I'll reply much, if at all, or ever post again. I just wanted to greet others out there who, upon finding safer and happier spiritual environments, fled from christianity like the plague it is. Blessed be Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tabula Rasa Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Now, only a few days and a month over the age of 20, I finally feel at peace with the things I believe. Just not with where I am. It's terrible being stuck in the middle of a sea of fundamentalist christianity. I have to sneak to the metaphysical shop and hope no one sees me go in. I have to hide all items that point at my apostasy and paganism from my family, usually with friends, since my mother has this habit of deciding she wants to rearrange my room while I'm off at college, going through my personal things I left behind, even my underwear drawer. She isn't looking for incriminating things, but they wouldn't be hard to find as meticulous as she is when she decides to completely change the bedroom I've called mine since I was 4. I've come back to find some of my favorite pieces of lingerie missing (though I managed to find them) from my underwear drawer. If she discovered anything "damning" enough, no doubt in my mind she'd go to my radical, racist, xenophobic, intolerant, homophobic, belligerent father. We actually had a "family discussion" one time years ago because they were seriously concerned that I might be pro-interracial marriage! I'm not sure if I'll reply much, if at all, or ever post again. I just wanted to greet others out there who, upon finding safer and happier spiritual environments, fled from christianity like the plague it is. Blessed be Welcome Munk. I don't think you need to be afraid. True, a large majority of the forums are atheist/agnostic, but we're accepting of folks who follow other forms of spirituality.(I'm a deist by the way). I'm sorry you're having to hide your pagan related stuff from your folks and definitely can understand about how rough it is having different belief systems living in the bible belt.(I'm from Alabama, ). Feel free to lurk as much as you need to get familiar with the place and feel free to ask questions and comment. We won't bite cha.(At most a nibble LOL) Welcome to the forum Munk. Tabula Rasa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Yo Munk, welcome to our little community! Greetings from Germany, from the most active follower of the High Gods of the North in this place Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deva Posted April 10, 2008 Share Posted April 10, 2008 Hi Munk and a big welcome to Ex-C from Florida! We appreciate your dropping in to say hello. Congratulations to you who have freed yourself from the big Christian brainwash. Hope you will decide to hang around a bit here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munk Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Thanks everyone for the warm welcomes After re-reading my initial post, I hope I didn't come off as thinking all non-theists are "mean, scary people" (to put it in 5 year old terms =P ). After all, my boyfriend is one. I'm sorry if I offended anyone accidentally. I tend to word things in ways that puts my foot in my mouth without noticing it I've been hanging around this site for a couple months now, reading the forum and the testimonies, angry letters of "pity" from christians concerned with our souls. I didn't really want to go "e-public" but I did it because I didn't want to. I think it'll make me a better person for not running and hiding in the shadows. The internet's a big place and you can't exactly get shot in a hate crime on it. I think I will stick around, because I've noticed that even though all of us have different outlooks on what the gods are or aren't, we're all ex-christians, and none of us want to cram our beliefs down anyone else's throats. I've seen the atheists and agnostics on this site be just as welcoming to pagans and other non-christian theists as they are to fellow atheists and agnostics. We may all believe different things, but we're all survivors of the mind cancer that is christianity. It may be a "small" connection, but to me, it seems to be far stronger than the supposed connections between fellow christians. We actually support eachother because we care as people, not because we're trying to appease some crazy tyrant in the clouds who throws hissy-fits to rival those of my 2 year old cousin when he doesn't get his way. I love to read the intellectual debates on this site...and I am currently cruising around the Lion's Den. I get a sick thrill these days out of watching christians get their asses handed to them. I'll get over it someday, but for now, I'm still vindictive and happy to watch the roast. Once again, thanks everyone for the welcome~ It feels good to be around other like-minded people, even if it is only through cyber space And to any christians who might see this even though you're not supposed to be in this section of the forum: I swear to god, goddess, and earth that if you insult me and my beliefs, I will intellectually and verbosely tear you a new asshole my tolerance and acceptance of your masochistic faith ends when you begin to attack those of others. I'm glad to be "a part" of this site now, even if I've only made a few posts. It's nice "meeting" you guys, and I hope we can all recover from the brain-eating disease of christianity together as peacefully and painlessly as possible Blessed be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Munk Posted April 10, 2008 Author Share Posted April 10, 2008 Alabama? Oh sweet flying spaghetti monster, you poor thing! My heart truly bleeds for you that state is SO backwards from everything concerning civil rights to religious preferences. How do you STAND it there?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Astreja Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Hei, Munk! I'm Ex-C's resident valkyrie, another one of those rowdy northern European heiðinn types (although I reside right in the middle of Canada). A few times a year, Thurisaz and I and a few other people get together in the Off-Topic forum to talk about a matter dear to our hearts... ...Making mead! Skál! (raises large mug) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thurisaz Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 I wanted to keep the secret for a while, but you're right dear - sooner or later everyone stumbles over the mead-making threads anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndreasBolle Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Hail from, yet, aother heathen. I live the worldview of my germanic ancestors. Hail the Regin! Horns held high and brimming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eejay Posted April 13, 2008 Share Posted April 13, 2008 Hi Munk...Welcome to ex-c. Yes, I've noticed it is very pagan friendly here. I've got to say I enjoy the x-tian beatings a great deal. I guess I still hold a lot of bitterness towards x-tianity, but it was so brutely forced upon me than I don't know that I will ever totally recover. I must say that I found great comfort in paganism, and it really was a refreshing change for me. Hope you stay aboard, and learn, and post and even make some friends. Take care. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shion Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Greetings from a fellow pagan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kei Posted April 15, 2008 Share Posted April 15, 2008 Um, hi. I have to admit I'm intimidated by these forums, especially since I've never used one before. I decided to put my first personal post here on the site than elsewhere because while I have a great deal of respect for the big thinkers on this site and my own boyfriend of 3 and a half years is an atheist, they kinda scare me a bit. I've seen how the chew on the fundies of christianity...and I LOVE reading their responses to them, but I'd rather not run with the big dogs and stay on the porch, at least for now. I'm a bit of a pansy that way. Anyway, this post is rather pointless I suppose. I just wanted to say hello to any fellow ex-christian pagans or other form of spirituality out there. I don't know when I'll be back to reply (assuming I receive any comments), but I wanted to test the waters and mingle with other like-minded people in cyber space. I first stopped being christian when I was in tenth grade. I was agnostic for the longest time, experimented with buddhism, etc. But then upon my second year of college I began to read up on paganism and I felt something click. Now that I look back, the way I've viewed the world and the concept of "god/ess(es)" has been "pagan" with a touch of deism my entire life. I'm just now crawling out of the belief system I was born into and into my own and realizing that I'm pissed, angry, and feel betrayed. I want to scream about all the crap that was forced on my for those 15 years I was classified "christian". I look back on the things I was taught and wonder how the adults in my life thought that they were acceptable topics to tell a child about: genocide, infanticide, murder, rape, incest while my parents when I was about 7 had to have a discussion about whether or not I could watch Jurassic Park. I came out of the "broom closet" as its been dubbed to my mom...slightly. Telling her I could no longer accept her views of what "god" is for my own. She thinks that I'm agnostic, though I did mention my interest in shamanism and the word pagan a few times to her. My first pagan celebration was this past mabon. Luckily the pagan community here, while somewhat underground (it's the bible belt and Gerry Falwell's bitch-town is only and hour away next door) is very warm, friendly, and welcoming. For the first time I feel happy with the things I believe and having the freedom to do what works best for me within the broad span of beliefs that all pagans collectively share. Making seashell necklaces, burning incense, eating home-baked honey bread...laughing, dancing...things unheard of in a southern baptist worship service. That first sabbat, Mabon, even though I had never celebrated before, they more than happily let me invoke the west and water, telling me the basic outlines of what it might sound like but not to worry about it, it didn't matter all that much. Whereas at church you had to force people to notice you for years before you even got so much as a decent role in the annual youth group christmas pageant. For the first time in my spiritual life even though I was and am new, I felt and feel as if I'm truly welcomed and belong. Not the stuffy superficial "we welcome you" I got for so many years in christian church. They were only "glad" to have you because they wanted to keep one more young person from "falling into the hands of satan" Now, only a few days and a month over the age of 20, I finally feel at peace with the things I believe. Just not with where I am. It's terrible being stuck in the middle of a sea of fundamentalist christianity. I have to sneak to the metaphysical shop and hope no one sees me go in. I have to hide all items that point at my apostasy and paganism from my family, usually with friends, since my mother has this habit of deciding she wants to rearrange my room while I'm off at college, going through my personal things I left behind, even my underwear drawer. She isn't looking for incriminating things, but they wouldn't be hard to find as meticulous as she is when she decides to completely change the bedroom I've called mine since I was 4. I've come back to find some of my favorite pieces of lingerie missing (though I managed to find them) from my underwear drawer. If she discovered anything "damning" enough, no doubt in my mind she'd go to my radical, racist, xenophobic, intolerant, homophobic, belligerent father. We actually had a "family discussion" one time years ago because they were seriously concerned that I might be pro-interracial marriage! I'm not sure if I'll reply much, if at all, or ever post again. I just wanted to greet others out there who, upon finding safer and happier spiritual environments, fled from christianity like the plague it is. Blessed be I love you, Munk!<3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One_World Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 Munk, you and I have a lot in common! I hope you stick around, there are a lot of great ex-christians here (says the guy who's been here two days). Merry meet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Aosoth Posted April 17, 2008 Share Posted April 17, 2008 and here's a big hello from a fellow Pagan who does not care about her bloodline. (and neither does Tyr seem to!) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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